Hunziker May 2013 E-Newsletter

May Area Events
	Hunziker & Associates, REALTORS® E-newsletter In This Issue Market Price Break Down Live United Food Drive 7 Rooms Repurposed Shred Day Recap Is Your Tree Going to Fall Over? Market Numbers



	Boone Speedway Events Saturdays in May Boone Speedway, Boone Race for Hope Des Moines Sat., May 11, 8am Water Works Park, Des Moines Mother's Day Tea Sat., May 11, 10:30am & 2pm Terrace Hill, Des Moines Ames Chamber Artists Spring Concert Sat., May 11, 7:30pm ISU, Ames Mom's Day at Municipal Pool Sun., May 12, 1-3pm Municipal Pool, Ames Mother's Day at Reiman Gardens Sun., May 12, 9am-4:30pm Reiman Gardens, Ames Catch-n-Croakers Fri., May 17, 8pm-9:30pm Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt, Maxwell Gladiator Assault Challenge May 18th or 19th Registration Open thru May 15th Seven Oaks Recreation, Boone Movie Night @ Jack Trice Stadium Sat., May 18, 7pm Jack Trice Stadium, ISU, Ames Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett Sun., May 19, 3pm Civic Center, Des Moines 2013 Special Olympics Iowa Summer Games May 23-25 ISU, Ames Hairball May 25, 8pm Simon Estes Amphitheater, Des Moines 5th Annual Smokin' in the Junction Barbecue Contest & Festival Sat., May 25, Noon-10pm Sun., May 26, Noon-9pm Valley Junction, West Des Moines

Useful Websites

	The Ames Chamber of Commerce The City of Ames Ames Convention and Visiors Bureau The Ankeny Chamber of Commerce The City of Ankeny The Boone Chamber of Commerce The Nevada Chamber of Commerce Ames Main Street Cultural District Interest Rate Information HunzikerRealty.com

Are you considering selling your home?
We have the home buyer!

The home buyers are back--big time! No one likes to be late to a party, and with interest rates at or near historic lows, it is party-time for many would-be homebuyers...if they can find a home. The shortage of homes for sale is occurring just as many want to buy again. A tight supply, combined with the strongest spring buying season since the housing boom ended nearly seven years ago, is causing upward pressure on home values in many of our local communities and neighborhoods. Would-be buyers who like a home are being urged to act fast, as we are witnessing many examples of multiple offers on homes that are properly positioned for sale.

Are you a possible home seller? Contact your Hunziker & Associates, Realtor today for a no-obligation consultation regarding the specific conditions in your community or neighborhood. Hunziker & Associates, Realtors, "We know the market!"

Figures based on information reported to the Central Iowa MLS for Ames Residential and Rural Subdivisions.

5th Annual LIVE UNITED
Food Drive

Area businesses, including Hunziker & Associates, REALTORS®, are working with the United Way this month to help families in need put food on their table. You can be a part of it too! Simply bring your food or cash donation to any collection site May 13-23. Your donation will be distributed to the one of the 15 food pantries in the county. The United Way is hoping for a large food donation this year. The need for food is even greater during the summer months. One out of four students in Story County are on a free or reduced lunch program. These children will no longer have access to school-provided meals once summer break starts.

See the list at the right for some ideas for donations. Cash donation may be used to purchase perishable items or other items in bulk.

Questions about the LIVE UNITED Food Drive?
Contact:
Marcy Nelson, 515-956-2424 , marcy.nelson@greatwesternbank.com

7 Ways to Rethink Your Underused Rooms

There is a cure for the scourge of wasted space: rethinking your rooms. The fact that a room is called a dining room or a breakfast area does not mean that's the only function you can do there. In fact, I propose that buyers and owners alike might want to spend some time this Spring rethinking and rearranging your rooms to live to the very edges of your precious square footage. Here are a few ideas for repurposing your underused spaces at home:

Too-small bedroom into closet or extra bathroom.
Wide hallway or under-stairs space into study or storage areas.
Dining room into office or game room.
Breakfast nook into computer or bill-paying area.
Too-large great room into living, dining, study and play area.
Basement or laundry room into mudroom or pet grooming area.
Formal living room into library.

For a step-by-step room rethink plan, and many inspirational photos check out the book Right-Sizing Your Home: Make Your House Fit Your Lifestyle, by Gale Stevens.

Click here to read more about Repurposing Rooms from our friends at Trulia.

Hunziker Community Shred Day a Success!

We're pleased to announce that the Hunziker Community Shred Day was a success! Mother Nature supplied beautiful conditions for the event and enabled us to shred and recycle several thousand pounds of paper. A big thanks goes out to all those who came to the event and Terri from Secure Shred Solutions. The Shred truck from Secure Shred Solutions spent time at our offices in Ankeny and Ames on April 26 and 27.

Is Your Tree Going to Fall Over?

A mature tree can account for as much as 10% of your assessed property value, depending on your market. With that much at stake, you sure don't want to have to yell, "Timber!"

Here's some tips on how to tell if one of your trees is in danger of falling over:

Leaning Trees: Danger Signs - Cracked or heaving soil, especially on the side opposite the lean. Exposed roots around the base of the tree.
Multiple Trunks: A tree with multiple trunks, or with splits in one trunk, can be unstable. Cracks that extend deeply into or through the trunk.
Construction Destruction: Danger signs of construction stress are Damaged bark; reduced, smaller, or no foliage; premature autumn color; mushrooms, conks, and carpenter ants at the base of the tree are a sign of decay and rot.

If you think your trees are changing, or you see any of the major warning signs above, they could be "hazard trees" - trees likely to fall and destroy what's near them - like your house.

This is a good time to call a certified arborist. Get recommendations from friends or neighborhood list serves. Or, contact the International Society of Arboriculture, which maintains a list of certified arborists.

Read more about cures to these problems from our friends at House Logic.

Ames Market Numbers

	Ames 2013	Ames 2012	Story County 2013	Story County 2012
Active listings as of 5/1/2013	116	239	114	175
Homes SOLD Year to Date	111	132	92	62
Average Sale Price	$183,888	$178,872	$131,959	$141,606
Average Days on the Market	96	117	126	101
Sale Price to List Price Ratio	95.1%	94.8%	92.8%	93.7%

Based on Sales information as reported to the Central Iowa Multiple Listing Service as of 4/30/2013
Ames - Ames Residential and Rural Subdivisions
Story County - Residential, excluding Ames and Ames Rural Subdivisions

Hunziker & Associates, REALTORS® has been helping people buy and sell homes in Central, Iowa for over 50 years. With offices in Ames, Ankeny, Boone and Nevada, our real estate agents can help you find the "right" place to call home. Our agents have access to hundreds of homes for sale in the Ames, Ankeny, Boone and Nevada areas through the various Multiple Listing Services (MLS). Corporate office location 105 S. 16th St. Ames, Iowa 50010, phone number 515-233-4450. Agents and Brokers are licensed in the state of Iowa.